I wrote this while sitting at my friend’s desk as he tidied his room behind me. We had shared a morning of deep, catharsis filled fellowship which had involved a hot chocolate and various errands. I was steeped in gratitude for the friends God had placed in my life, and so thankful for the support they provide in my life. My friends have encouraged me and held me up when I have faltered, in much the same way as Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms to win the battle against the Amalekites:

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” (Exodus 17:11-12)

I wrote a letter to a close friend of mine before going away for a long time. I concluded the letter with a verse from 2 Samuel, which is part of a lament from David about his dear friend Jonathan:

“Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” (2 Samuel 1:26)

This is a funny but accurate representation of how I feel about my friends, some of whom have become like brothers to me. Everyday I am thankful for the friends God has placed in my life, and for the encouragement and support they provide in easy and hard times.